There's a problem with quality US drama telly in the UK - in a nutshell, we hardly ever get to see it. Okay, so the six per cent of the population who have Sky can watch Mad Men, and Netflix has now come along to put us out of our collective Breaking Bad misery, but it's nonetheless weirdly difficult to gain access to the top-tier stuff from across the pond. The exception, thanks to Channel 4, is Homeland.

The second season of Homeland wasted no time living up to the promise of its acclaimed first run, the first five episodes packing in one jaw-dropping cliffhanger after another. From Brody's confession tape to Brody's arrest to Brody's emotionally fraught interrogation at the hands of Carrie and new agent Quinn (Rupert Friend), this was an entire season's worth of story burned through in five breathlessly gripping, shrewdly written hours.

The problem with burning through story at such a pace is that you've got to take a breath sooner or later, and the season did suffer in its middle portion, the strong character writing no longer enough to distract from the more ridiculous plot points. Brody excusing himself from a room full of CIA agents to have a loud conversation with Abu Nazir via Skype-for-Blackberry is still our personal favorite, but you can really take your pick. And the less said about Dana and her hit-and-run plotline, the better.

But whether it was on a high or a low, Homeland got people talking. It was drama in big, bold strokes, always a step ahead and never predictable for a second. Claire Danes's performance as the psychologically brittle Carrie remained one of the most fascinating on TV, and Damian Lewis was able to delve further beneath the surface than ever before as Brody gradually unravelled and rebuilt himself into a new, though no less broken, man.

So if top-drawer tension and emotionally layered performances are your bag, vote for Homeland. You know it makes sense.